The Lace Market is an historic quarter-mile square area of Nottingham, UK. Once the heart of the world lace industry, with many impressive examples of 18th Century industrial architecture, it is a protected heritage area. It was never a market in the sense of having stalls, but there were salesrooms and warehouses for storing, displaying and selling the lace.

It is sited on the area of the original Saxon settlement that became Nottingham, and also boasts the oldest Christian Foundation in the city, predating the Norman conquest. The current St Mary's Church on that site, the third church thought to have stood there and completed in 1474, is an excellent example of early English Perpendicular Architecture . It is said to be probably one of the finest mediaeval parish churches in England.

Another fine piece of architecture in the area is a warehouse designed by Watson Fothergill , a proflic local architect responsible for some 100 buildings in the area between 1870 to 1906. His work in the Gothic revival and Old English vernacular styles was very popular in Victorian times, and means that many shops, banks, houses and even churches are enlivened by turrets, gargoyles, mock tudor beams and other distinctive features.

The Lace Market is currently undergoing something of a renaissance as many of the buildings are being renovated as apartments and tourist attractions such as the Galleries of Justice. The Galleries are located in the old law courts and County Gaol - or County Goal as the stonemason originally labelled it, a blunder still visible today. The Lace Market adjoins the "Hockley Village" area of the city, so between them there are many trendy bars and restaurants nearby.

Some of the original 19th Century lace machines are still in use today, often with computer assistance.

External links

The Galleries of Justice
Lace Market Theatre
Lace Market Properties, responsible for many of the renovation projects in the area.
The Lace Market Unveiled: a project to "Explore the architecture and heritage of Nottingham's historic Lace Market".

== References ==

"A Juicy Bit of Snot." An article about walking Nottingham's historic streets. Accessed on March 9, 2005.
(the title refers to Snot, the original Saxon founder of the city)

"St. Mary's Church, Nottingham." Information about St.Mary's from the nearby St. Peter's Church. Accessed on March 9, 2005.

"The Watson Fothergill Home Page." A site about the prolific local architect. Accessed on March 9, 2005.